My Only Illusion
by Animus.Lupae
Summary: Zexion's death revisted, in a morbid sort of way. It's one of my better stories, albeit my grammar and such. Bleh. Hope you enjoy. Disclaimer: I own no kingdom hearts characters...


"Zexion, where are we going?!" The blonde mul-hawked teen crossed his arms and sighed, gazing at the bluenette in front of him. "Just follow me, god…" Demyx could see he was wearing his friend's patience thin, and he uncrossed his arms, clasping a hand on Zexion's shoulder.

"Okay, sorry…I just want to get out of here before it gets dark…" The blonde teen glanced around, shuddering slightly at the depressing environment. Large trees surrounded them, as well as vines and bushes. He didn't doubt there were large and hungry animals hidden, waiting for them to step into their range, but Demyx really didn't want to think about that at the moment. They'd been trekking through the jungle for almost two hours; it was getting close to evening, real close. They had started walking as soon as Zexion had received the letter…

_/That stupid letter…/_ Demyx thought to himself as he let go of his friends shoulder, following him as he'd been doing before. Zexion had received a rather ornate letter, telling him: VI, you are to explore the Deep Jungle for a disturbance; it is merely for our education of the world as of this moment. There has been tell of a monstrosity deep inside an abode somewhere, and it is up to you and one other to find it. I assume you will bring the right person.

Both the teenaged nobodies had known it was a letter from Xemnas, the superior. The only thing they hadn't known was how hard it would be to find this place.

After another ten minutes of walking through dense, dry underbrush and of pushing and hacking their way through overgrown plants, they'd arrived. They couldn't tell immediately; it wasn't gold **or** glorious, as Demyx had expected. Instead it was a large cave built into the side of a big and random slab of rock.

"This is it, happy now?" Zexion asked bitterly, sitting on a rock by his feet, catching his breath. "Yes." Demyx replied, guessing his friend was just grumpy and tired. "I am happy, you found it!" He raised his hand, ready to give Zexion a high-five, but the other nobody merely raised an eyebrow. Demyx lowered his hand awkwardly and cleared his throat, glancing around for something that could catch and hold his attention. It wasn't long before Zexion stood and told the blonde they were going to start heading inside. The blonde instantaneously raised both hands defensively with his fingers spread, and glanced at the cave mouth, standing completely still.

"Wait, we have to actually go in?" "Well, yes…" Zexion replied, examining Demyx's posture curiously. "But, but Xemnas only said we had to find it…" "_And_ explore it." Zexion cut in, heading for the cave entrance, not waiting for the blonde to accompany him. "Yah, you go first, that's probably best…" Demyx said in a quiet voice, walking slowly after Zexion.

As he entered the temple he could almost feel the mystery and danger radiating from somewhere inside. Or maybe it was the weird heat that was emanating from the tunnel entrance; Demyx immediately guessed they were about to find some hot spring, or natural hot tub of some form... It was really humid, and the water-wielder wiped a hand across his brow, amazed to find perspiration already starting.

"You feel that?" Demyx whispered in Zexion's ear, a hand on either of the bluenette's shoulders. "Yes, I do." The nobody replied stiffly, not even turning his head to look at the blonde. Demyx let go of Zexion's shoulders at that moment and glanced ahead of them, at a large and gaping black hole, trying not to let Zexion's "cold shoulder" treatment bug him too much. It seemed any natural light stopped at the there and the tunnel became smaller; they had to end up walking one at a time. Before Demyx's eyes could adjust to the dark there was a soft "snap."

Everything illuminated before his eyes.

A gasoline stream lined the large square room they'd just entered, and Demyx could hear Zexion gasp quietly and stop walking, both hands raised by his head. The room wasn't that large actually; there were four pillars, one in each corner of the room. They had ornate hand-carved designs that enraptured the Nobody as he followed them up each wall and pillar, connecting somewhere on the ceiling. Then there was the figure that stood in the middle of the room, the red-headed nobody that held a spinning chakram loosely in each hand.

"Hello boys." He called out snidely, his grin and eyes as malicious as Demyx had ever seen them. Demyx turned around, ready to run, only to be met by a wall of flame, blocking the only exit out of the "temple." The temple that now reminded him of a death trap.

"Axel." Zexion replied lightly, crossing his arms. "What's with this set up?" He asked, gesturing with a hand to the flames that lapped at every wall and corner of the cave. "Oh." Axel replied, shaking his head slightly as if he'd just realized something. "Didn't you always dream of a glorious death? Perhaps, to go out with a bang?" Demyx took a step back, trying to escape Axel's hungry gaze, only to singe his cloak in the flames behind him.

"What?!" Zexion cried out, raising both hands out in front of him protectively again, his face an expression of sheer fear. "Who sent you?" Zexion demanded. "Nevermind tha-" "It was Xemnas wasn't it?" Axel looked curious as he crossed his arms, a chakram on either side of him now.

"Why yes, he did. He sent me a letter saying to meet someone here, and to destroy them. I wouldn't have done this on my own time, but captain's orders if you know what I mean. And he obviously meant you." Suddenly, there was a confident voice that cut the tense air between the bluenette and the red-head.

"Or maybe he meant me!" Demyx interrupted, stepping beside Zexion, glancing at the flame-controlling teen; the flame-controlling teen who rolled his eyes and raised an eyebrow.

"Seriously Demyx? Why would Xemnas send me to kill _you_? Hell, Sora could kill you. Anyone could. He wouldn't need me too." "Hey!" Demyx protested. "That's not true!" Zexion said, backing his friend up, crossing his arms.. "I could take you." Demyx spat, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. Axel seemed to contemplate that, arms still crossed, eyebrow still raised; and then he smirked. "Fine, lets go." Axel taunted; Demyx could feel the heat in the room intensify.

Demyx, suddenly, felt bashful and scared, and rather than go through with his words, he took a step back to his original place. "I-I don't have my weapon…" He said lamely, crossing his arms as though to protect himself. Axel gave him a disbelieving look, knowing that the water-wielder could have summoned it at any time. "Too bad." Axel replied with a smirk, turning his gaze back to Zexion. Demyx wished with all his heart he could take the bluenette's place, or at least help him out somehow…

"So, whatcha gonna do?" Axel asked Zexion as he uncrossed both arms again. "Fight you." Zexion replied, raising a hand. "With your greatest weakness." Demyx watched as Zexion began transforming, molding into a Roxas look-alike. "That's not gonna stop me." Axel told him, his gaze darkening soon after, both chakram's spinning again in his hands. Zexion had tried this trick many times before… Axel knew what always happened.

"Cause I know you're not him."

"But Axel." Zexion cooed, looking taken aback in his new Roxas form. Demyx was amazed; Roxas sounded _exactly_ like Roxas.

No, wait… Zexion sounded like Roxas…

What?

"I.. I can feel the pain… Your fire… It burns…" Zexion looked down in what Demyx would have to call a very believable sad way; Roxas' voice grew quieter. "Err… Zexion.." Axel said; he looked as though he was fighting something inside himself. "You can't fool me…" "Axel, it's me, Roxas!" Demyx could see the cute little smile on Roxas' face, the shimmering eyes. He could also see the nervous expression on Axel's face.

"No! Zexion, stop playing games with my head!" The nobody threw a chakram with amazing accuracy, watching as it curved towards Zexion.

"Zexion!" Demyx cried out, throwing his hands up in the air, unsure what to do.

Both the blonde and the red-head watched as Zexion raised a hand and outstretched it towards the oncoming chakram, an exact replica forming above his palm, alight with flames. He caught it with both hands and flipped it around, just in time to stop Axel's attack. The sound of screeching metal reverberated around the room. The attacking chakram quickly returned to the owner, and he growled, crossing his arms as Zexion turned back into himself, looking quite grim at the loss of his plan "A" tactic.

"Fine." Axel called out as he uncrossed his arms, throwing both chakrams at once at the same time, in the same direction as before. Zexion raised his other hand and created another chakram, outstretching both arms this time, the same screeching sound replayed as he stopped Axel's second attack.

Demyx watched as the two began fighting for real, their chakrams flying in all directions, the metallic screech that never seemed to stop. Not to mention the intensifying heat. He would have joined in the fight, if he knew he was stronger, if not even just as strong as, Axel. He suddenly had an idea and he raised a hand, summoned his sitar, and stood straight, determined. He could feel himself sweating with the intensifying heat, his breath coming unsteadily as the fire slowly ate at the oxygen in the room. It wasn't long till his throat would hurt and he would felt light-headed, but he tried anyways.

"Dance Water, Dance!" He suddenly cried out, and with both hands, began plucking at several strings at once, watching as water began reaching out at first in small tendrils from his sitar, and then into one big mass, which quickly became a watery replica of himself. Both Zexion and Axel continued fighting though, despite his attention-seeking yell and watery replica; they were both bent on killing the other, moreso Axel than Zexion though.

Then Demyx plucked a few different strings, and his water replica began moving forward, swaying slightly, moving towards the entrance of the tunnel. Now Demyx was happy they were still fighting, it was more of a distraction for them, he'd have time to get them out of here; he could hear their grunts and occasional cries as he worked, and he merely grimaced.

Soon, his nobody had reached the line of fire, and Demyx pulled on one string exceptionally hard, creating a loud note that echoed throughout the entire place. It was as though it had been amplified, and suddenly his water replica grew; it was just a blob with no way to show it had ever once looked like Demyx, and as the water-wielder pointed a finger at the wall of fire, the blob pushed through with all it's might, making an opening through the flames.

With a loud whoop that finally caught the attention of the fighting nobodies, they both turned and looked at him, panting and wincing. He ran forward, sitar unsummoned, hands outrstreched…

And suddenly, the wall of flame burst back up. Demyx screeched to a halt, crying out in his dismay. He looked back and forth at the wall that had just repopped up, he'd used a very strong attack to knock it down, and only then realized what he'd missed before: it was a gasoline propelled fire, Axel was playing dirty this time… That also meant that Demyx's water was not enough to stop the torrent of flame; everytime he knocked it down, the gasoline would alight again and there would be no energy left in the blonde soon enough…

Suddenly, there was a loud and menacing laugh, and Demyx turned to see Axel, his head thrown back, laughing hard, one chakram still in either hand. Demyx turned back to the wall of flame, hesitated, then threw himself to his knees, hands in the air before they gripped his head, shaking; it was getting much harder to breathe, the fire was taking all the oxygen out of the room, and Demyx knew he was about to die..

"Noooooooooooooooooooo!"

As he turned around to the sound of another loud screech, prepared to watch them battle to the death some more and wait for his own, he watched in horror as Zexion suddenly fell to one knee, his chest heaving, sweat dripping down his forehead. Both chakrams fell to the ground with a loud clatter, and he held himself up on his hands and knees.

"I-I can't breathe…" He said quietly, eyes closed, as if accepting his fate. Demyx looked up as Axel began walking towards the bluenette, clicking his tongue disapprovingly. "That was quite some fight Zexion, I assume if you had been able to breathe you would have beaten me." Both chakrams by Zexion's hands began fading away, black flames licking at the ornate metals until they were gone. "I… Assume…" Zexion panted, shaking his head. "Well, you will be sorely missed Zexion." Axel told him, then slowly: "Goodbye."

Demyx wasn't sure what alerted him first, Axel sarcastic comment or his raised hand. The blonde began to stand; everything seemed to be in slow-motion.

"Good-bye… Good-bye… Good-bye…"

An icy whisper replayed in his ears as he got to his feet and began running forward, his arms outstretched.

"Good-bye…"

"Nooo!" Demyx cried out as he leapt at Axel, but the red-head, had already acted.

Everything fell silent.

The blunette's eyes grew wide as he gasped in pain, barely able to keep his weight up anymore.

"Zexion!" Demyx cried, his voice full of pain.

Axel's chaotic laugh broke the silence. Both of the nobodies watched as Axel's flaming chakram sliced through Zexion's back; just once, cleanly, no red substance on any of the points as they came out from the flesh. The effects weren't immediate; the chakram erupted in a flurry of dancing flames and was back in Axel's hand before he made them both disappear in thin air. Then Zexion growled, closing his eyes with the effort of keeping himself supported.

"You finished your m-mission…" Zexion said, trying to keep his voice steady, though everything hurt so badly. "You should leave now… Axel… Vic-Victory… Is yours…" Zexion told him weakly, his face scrunched in a pain-filled grimace. "Murderer!" Demyx cried, throwing himself at Axel, even without his weapon. The confused nobody was in a blind rage, Zexion had been everything to him.

He'd just lost everything.

"Demy!" Axel replied, over-excitedly, over-friendly. "See you back at the castle, chump." He sidestepped the blonde's attack before he turned and pushed Demyx, vaulting him towards a wall. "Have fun." Demyx struggled to stop himself before hitting the flame wall; he managed, but just barely. He collapsed on the ground, his breathing heavier then ever.

"Bye Zexy." Demyx could hear the red-head talking to Zexion, but he couldn't see him; At least not until he stood up and turned around, his head felt woozy and his movements clumsy. "Axel." He whispered harshly, his eyes held the red-head's in a withering glare for a few short seconds before Axel looked away, his eyes hiding his sympathy.

"Sorry…" Then the flame-controller snapped his fingers once, and the walls of flame ceased; oxygen re-filled Demyx's lungs and he gasped, holding his chest gently with a hand. He watched as Axel left the cave in a portal, a big, black, shimmering hole of nothingness.

Demyx turned his head in Zexion's direction, and he could feel his heart go into overdrive. "Zexion!" He breathed as he ran to his friends' side and knelt down, unsure whether or not he should touch him.

He looked so, breakable.

"Zexion…" "Don't… Don't cry Demyx…" Zexion told him, wincing. He opened his eyes to look at his friend, offering a weak smile. Then he collapsed, his arms splayed on either side of him, his cheek resting on the cold stone ground. Demyx could not stop the tears from falling down his cheeks now; the only one he'd ever loved was dying in front his very eyes, killed by a black-tongued dragon.

"D-Demyx…" Zexion whispered, staring blankly at the wall across the room; his smile came easier now. "Zexion…" Demyx choked out, sitting down beside his friend. "No, Zexion!" He hoisted the blunette into his lap, cradling him to his chest, his head resting on Zexion's shoulder. "Don't cry…" Zexion breathed quietly into Demyx' ear, his own chin propped up on the blonde's shoulder. Demyx could feel how tense Zexion's body was; he was fighting so hard for his life.

"Don't, don't leave me!" Demyx sobbed, holding Zexion as tightly to his chest as he could. "I'm not… D-Demyx…" "What do you mean?" "I'll always be… Be… right here…" Demyx watched as Zexion struggled into a sitting position, touching Demyx's temple once to indicate his brain; Demyx wondered at that moment, if Zexion was referring to illusions, referring to how no matter what, Demyx could make illusions of his friend, could recapture everything about his friend in them. Then Zexion smiled; he looked so fragile, Demyx's eyes flooded with fresh tears. He watched as Zexion brought a hand up, he looked like he was going to fall over again, and wiped a tear off Demyx's cheek.

"D-don't… Don't Ev-Ever forget…" Zexion whispered, doing his best to look happy, even as he fought for his life. "Forget what?" Demyx asked, his voice airy and stifled, curious and confused.

"How… How I…"

The blunette put a hand on Demyx's chest, right above his heart.

"I made you feel…"

Demyx's lower lip quivered as Zexion gazed into his eyes; it looked like he was staring off into space, into a different world.

"D-don't fight it Zexy… I'll always remember you…" He grasped the blunette in another hug, his fresh tears staining the nobody's shoulder.

"Demyx I…"

The blunette squeezed Demyx tightly.

"I love you."

The blonde could do nothing as his best friend began to fade, black flames lapping at his body as it was devoured into nothingness, much like his chakrams from before.

Even after Zexion had disappeared, Demyx continued to hug himself, wailing as loudly as he could. His body grew cold after a while, his tears never ceasing, knowing that the love of his life was gone forever.

_I love you too Zexy…_

_

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**A/N:** I'm not sure if the ending was very good, but please read and review. As for those who read this on Gaia already, you can probably tell I've re-made most of it. I hope you liked it, because I sure had, well, if you can call it fun writing it. If you really wanna shed a few tears, listen to a sad song while reading. Haha, it really gets you going.


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